


Somewhere Only We Know (Male Reader)

by Ram423



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Both you and David are in college, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Implied Sexual Content, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Mention of sex, More Warnings will be given at the beginning of chapters, Slow Burn, Strong Language, Takes place at camp, some gore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 12:11:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17425646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ram423/pseuds/Ram423
Summary: You and David have been close friends for the past few months and in this short time, you developed a huge crush on him. But, with summer approaching, you were sad to know your friend would be going away to camp. That is until you find out the camp needs a new counselor! Nervous and excited to find yourself able to spend the summer with David, you had no idea what you were getting yourself into. But, it couldn't be that crazy.Written before most of chapter 3.Check out the somewhere blog!  https://somewherefanfic.tumblr.com/





	1. I Won't Say I'm in Love

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter's title was inspired by "I won't say I'm in Love" from Hercules. Check it out here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAN57ITtgl8

_Just a few more paragraphs and I’m done,_ you thought as you were putting the finishing touches on your research essay.  _What kind of professor gives a twelve page paper a week before finals anyway?_ Sitting in the library, you lean back and take in your surroundings- students trying to make a mad dash in their studies to ensure they pass their classes, frazzled looking freshmen, seniors who looked like black coffee incarnate, a few tutoring sessions here and there, the usual dead week scene. Taking a deep breath, you smell the pages of the old books that rest on the shelves in front of you as you tried to focus on your work. The comfortable lighting allowed for the passage of time to seem unmoving as you continue typing away, fueled by a mixture caffeine and contempt for your professor.

 As you were putting on the final touches, you felt two familiar hands come up and cover your eyes. “Guess who?” A cheerful voice asks.

 “Hey David,” you say gesturing at the empty seat next to you. He releases your eyes and takes a seat, his infectious grin ever present on his face. As he sits, you can’t help but look him over: Auburn hair in a small fohawk helps frame his face, leading to his ocean green eyes. A small nose which appeared to be perpetually pink from the sun, not that he seemed to mind. Long, slender limbs whose elbows and knees almost matched the color of his nose. At a little over six feet, he stood over you. He liked to dress very comfortably, opting for a tan jacket which he had slung over his back, button up shirt and jeans. One thing that was a constant in any outfit he wore, though, was a yellow t-shirt he kept around his neck like a handkerchief. He had mentioned in the past that it was from the summer camp he used to go to as a kid and where he now works as a counselor.  

 “Research paper?” He asked, giving you a sympathetic smile.

 “Yep.”

 “Paul’s Class?”

 “Yep.” You take another swig of tea from your water bottle before returning to your work. David patiently waits for a few minutes until you come back to the conversation. ”Thankfully,” you say, writing the last few words, “It is done.” Feeling happy with yourself you save your work before closing your laptop, only to see David giving you a very smug side-eye smirk. Suspicious, you squint your eyes and peer at him.

 “Alright David, what are you up to?’

 “Oh nothing, just waiting for someone to remember something very important about today.” He grabs his own water bottle and sips it, still giving you that look. You squint your eyes at him trying to see what his game is.

 “I know it’s not your birthday, and it isn’t mine either,” you state matter-of-factly, “and the stress-relief therapy dogs are tomorrow.”  He can’t contain himself any longer. Excited as hell, he grabs the sides of your face with eyes sparkling and says ”It’s taco Tuesday,” handing you the flyer promising a campus sponsored all-you-can-eat taco buffet. You had been looking forward to it since it was announced a few weeks ago.

 Your eyes go wide with the revelation he has brought you. In disbelief that you could have forgotten what should be a national holiday, you shove your laptop and water bottle in your bag, grab his arm, and make it to the cafeteria in record time. David, seemingly winded, asked “What was that all about?” He let out a small laugh as he caught his breath. You turned to face him.

 “David. You and I both know there is no way in hell I’d miss taco Tuesday.”

 “Hey... Language.” He said with a small frown.

 “Fuck that.”

 “You know, if you were one of my campers, you would be in serious trouble right now,” he said with what you can only describe as his ‘counselor voice.’ He tends to use it when he thinks he needs to be stern, but you just think it sounds kind of cute. You just smile and roll your eyes before turning back around.

 You and David had known each other for about eight months now. You were 21 and in your third year of college, while he was 24 and in his sixth. He was working on his masters degrees in both Botany and Wildlife (you secretly wondered how the man ever slept), while you were working towards your bachelors in natural resources. But, despite the numerous similar classes you have, your paths didn’t cross until you signed up for a dance class.

 You had just started your third year of college and needed an art credit, so you decided to learn how to dance due to the fact that you had never had the opportunity in the past. You were kind of shy, as you didn’t know anyone there, so you just let the instructor choose your partner. You were nervous at first to meet David, but after quickly learning that there were four left feet between you, you became fast friends all while laughing with each other trying to get the steps right. Any nervousness you felt had melted away after that.

 You exchanged numbers and immediately began talking. Since then you’ve celebrated each others birthdays, had heart to hearts, became study buddies, joined the LGBT club on campus together (which had surprised you- you'd assumed David was straight but he came out to you as pan when he signed up) and planned on being roommates next year. You were going to move in and ‘hold down the fort’, as he put it, while he went away to his summer camp job. The only reason you hadn’t moved in sooner was because you didn’t want to go through the hassle of breaking the lease on your own apartment. You doubt it would be much different than now, though considering that each of you practically lived at the others house between studying, movie nights, board games, video games, and whatever else the two of you could come up with. You were never bored when David was around.

 You were also head over heels for him.

 David was one of the most passionate people you had ever met. If he was talking about something, he got really into it. You would often just listen to him talk about bugs, bears, bees, camp, plants- whatever crossed his mind for hours on end, and you were happy to do so. He was a bit naive and had an innocence to him which you found adorable. Whenever he realized he had made an innuendo of some sorts, he would blush as you giggled at him, making you fall for him more and more each time. He was a cinnamon roll and you had a serious sweet tooth.

 Those weren’t the things you liked about him most, though. You loved his kindness. He was always willing to go completely out of the way for someone, just out of the goodness of his heart. Even if it was just a smile, he could brighten the day of anyone who walked by. He was also incredibly intelligent and empathetic. He claims that working at camp had taught him a lot about people and how the world worked, and that the kids he supervised taught him just as much as he taught them.

 Grabbing your tacos, you and David headed toward your usual spot, traversing through the packed space. The round tables were brimming with students all talking amongst themselves. The large windows that made up three of the walls let in the sunlight, illuminating the room with delicate sunbeams. Luckily, despite the overcrowdedness of the place, your spot was available. It was a small, two person table in the corner of the cafeteria where two bay windows met, giving those who sat there a full view of the forest bordering campus. The two of you would count the various animals you saw as you sat and ate. Then, you would lose yourself in David’s voice as he told you about the different species you had spotted. It was your favorite pastime.

 Today, though, he had camp on the brain. With the first day only being a month away, he was beginning to get stars in his eyes.

 “Oh I’m just so excited,” he said, closing his eyes and smiling, “I can’t wait to see all the campers, and Gwen, and the Quartermaster. It will be so wonderful.” You grinned as you watched him hug himself out of pure joy. He had told you all about Camp Campbell in the time you’d known him. You felt like you already knew the campers and could practically smell the smores in the way he described the place. You were so happy he was able to do something he loved, though you couldn’t help but be a bit sad knowing that your friend wasn’t going to be there this summer, and a bit envious as he would be spending it with a girl named Gwen. But, you didn’t show it and only reflected his excitement.

 After gorging yourselves on tacos and not regretting it in the slightest, you went to David’s house. It wasn’t far, only about five minutes from campus, but was enough time to comfortably walk off the meal. Once you arrived, David checked his mail while you let yourself inside. It was a small, two bedroom house with an open living room and kitchen. The interior walls were a cream color with a brown carpet covering the floors. The living room had a long black couch facing an entertainment center. It housed a television, dvd player, a gamecube, and a wii. The kitchen had a small table off to the side of the counter while a small, middle section divided kitchen into two parts with the sink on the right and a stove on the left, allowing for quick movement for filling pots with water, or transfering chopped vegetables into a pan. Down the hall were two rooms, David’s room and the guest room where you would occasionally stay the night. You had familiarized yourself with the place a while back, so you threw your backpack on the couch and plopped yourself down next to it. David came in shortly after with his mail, bouncing up and down with excitement.

 “Alright Davey, spill. What has you so excited?”

 “I got mail from Gwen! It must be her official Camp Campbell Camp Counselor Campplicatio- er, application.” He gave a nervous laugh before opening the letter. You watched him as he scanned the letter- his face going from excited, to confused, to sad. He seemed on the verge of tears.

 “David? What’s wrong?” You were concerned for your friend, it wasn’t like him to change so drastically.

 He set the letter down and rubbed his arm. “Gwen… can’t make it this summer. She got a new job, which is great for her! But, without a second counselor, Camp Campbell isn’t legally allowed to operate. And, with everything that happened last year, I doubt that we would be given any leniency.” You remember the story David had told you of the founder, Mr. Campbell, being taken to Super Guantanamo last summer, and how most of the responsibility had fallen on his shoulders. Hell, the only reason the camp wasn’t shut down completely was because the agent’s daughter enjoyed her time there.

 Looking up at him, you can’t remember ever seeing him so defeated. He was holding onto his arms which he had crossed in front of him, hair fallen in front of his face blinking back tears. “I, uh, better go notify the parents.” As he began to walk towards his phone, you jumped up. “David wait.” He looked at you, an unreadable expression on his face. “What if I took Gwen’s place at camp?” You had no idea how to run a summer camp, but it broke your heart to see David like this. You couldn’t just sit idly by and let him be devastated.

 “Would you really be willing to do it? I mean, I know we planned to have you move in here and everything, and I don’t want to get in the way of your summer. But…” He looked hopeful.

 “Are you kidding? Getting paid to go camping with my best friend all summer? Sounds like a great deal to me-” You get cut off by David picking you up and spinning you around the room in his arms.

 “Oh thank you thank you thank you!” He squealed as he swung you around the living room. You pulled him into a hug as he set you down. You blushed a bit as he pulled away, though you don’t think he noticed because immediately after, he went into a myriad of details pertaining to be a counselor and how much you were going to love it. He handed you a copy of the application and screamed “You’re hired!” as soon as you completed it.

 Looks like the two of you were headed to Camp Campbell.


	2. One Summer's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title was inspired by One Summer's Day from Spirited Away. Check it out here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEtJxfhxRh8

The end of the semester came as quickly as ever, so David and you quickly made your preparations to get to camp. You managed to get moved into his place with relative ease, as much of what you needed furniture wise was already in your room. You had all of your possessions there but had no time to decorate, because as soon as you were in it was time to pack for camp. David helped by giving you tips and guidelines on what to and not to pack. You ended up with a lot of cargo shorts, (which was fine by you considering any pants that had pockets were a miracle) and t-shirts. You also packed hiking boots, sneakers, sandals, and flip flops as David described the camp having everything from archery to scuba diving to weight lifting. It was a pretty impressive list of activities, though you’re not quite sure how qualified you were to handle all of them. You had a scuba license but had no idea how to walk a tightrope. But, if the kids were willing to learn, then so were you.

When the day finally arrived to leave for camp, David insisted on listening to the Farmer’s Almanac all the way there. He argued that it was educational, but you wondered how good outdated information about the weather could be. The two of you eventually compromised with him letting you choose the year. You settled on 1999 as you assumed there could be something entertaining about Y2K in there. Plus, you had to admit, you were kind of interested in the horoscopes.

The six hour drive was filled with the sound of you and David talking about camp with the occasional pause for particularly “interesting” parts in the almanac. David told you everything you needed to know about the camp and each of the campers. But you were confused.

“David,” you pondered, “won’t there be new campers this year? I mean, the old campers sound great, but shouldn’t we really prepare for a new batch along with those who were here last?”

“Well, normally yes but because of last summer’s… antics, we had to pull all advertising from the shelves until we could make new ones. We only just released them about a week ago, so the only people that signed their kids up before the deadline were the ones who were here last year. But that isn’t going to stop us from having a great time! In fact, it will be even better because everyone already knows each other so well!” David’s endless optimism put you at ease. If he was confident about the ordeal, then you suppose you shouldn’t worry too much.

Once you arrived at the camp, you took in your surroundings. There were large patches of land where you assumed tents would go, a mess hall, a small pier that jutted out onto the lake, the counselors cabin, an amphitheatre, and a number of small, run down outposts with hand-painted signs that said “theater camp”, “hiking”, “science camp” and others. You weren’t quite sure what to make of the place. The way David had described it, you thought it was going to be state of the art everything, not some random assortment of not even half put together tables.

Despite this, you couldn’t deny the beauty of the place. The clear blue sky above you gave its center stage to the warm sun. Its blinding light shining off the water of Lake Lilac made it sparkle in a magical way. The slight breeze carried the scent of the pines from the forest right to your nose, greeting you to their ancient home. You could hear bird song coming from the surrounding trees and watched as buzzards circled overhead, bathing themselves in the heat of the sun. And of course, the sea of green trees that surrounded the camp was undeniably the most amazing part of it all.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” David hopped out of the car and stood next to you. He had a look of pure adoration on his face as he gazed at the camp. You couldn’t help but smile.

“Yeah, it really is.”

The two of you sat in silence for a bit, just admiring the place before David finally spoke again.

“Time to set up.”

Tearing his eyes away from camp, he headed to the back of his car and began to unload. Handing you your bags, he lead you to the counselors cabin. “This is where we’ll be staying, feel free to decorate your room however you like. I know I will!” He had his signature cheesy grin on his face before he entered the building. Inside, there was a common area with a few couches and an old green and yellow striped chair. An old television sat opposite a window that looked out into the forest. A table and chairs sat in the corner of the room, under a second window that gave a better view of the campground. Passing that, you saw a small bathroom down at the end of the hall. Across from it were two wooden doors.

David paused in front of the first one. “This is your room,” he said as he gestured to the door. “I think you’re going to like it.” He put the key in the lock and opened it for you. Stepping into the room, you got your first look at where you would be staying for the next few months. A small twin bed sat in the middle of the room with a few pillows and a green Camp Campbell comforter. A desk sat to your right with a cork board above it. A window was above the bed with two green musty looking curtains hanging in front of it. Above the window was a small, dusty shelf. An empty wardrobe was to your left, waiting to be filled with clothes after months of being empty.

“I know it’s not much,” David began, “but I promise you it will warm right up as soon as you decorate and get moved in.”

“It’s perfect,” you say as you walk into your new home. David gives you a warm smile.

“I’ll give you some time to get settled, we have a lot to do today so I’ll come get you in about and hour, ok? If you need anything, let me know!” With that, he left you to your new room.

As you began to unpack, you couldn’t help but let your mind wander back to David. You were both excited and incredibly nervous to be spending the summer with him. You had a massive crush on him and were worried that you may do something stupid to let it slip. You didn’t want to make him feel awkward or ruin your friendship with him, but something told you that even if he did find out, he wouldn’t do either of those things. Still, you would rather just keep your feelings to yourself about this.

Continuing in your endeavor to put everything where you wanted it, you came across the journal you purchased before summer began. You had decided to write about what you would do this summer, as it would be fun to look back on everything after it was over. It was also a place where you could reveal your feelings about David without worry of judgement or consequence. You placed it on your nightstand and made a mental note to begin your habit tonight.

The last thing you placed down was your ukulele. You had grabbed it after you learned David was bringing his guitar to camp. Figuring you could teach each other how to play, or at the very least play simple duets, you made a last-minute decision to grab it. You loved it when David played- he was a wonderful musician with a voice to match his beautiful soul. You and he would sing together on the way to school sometimes. Or on car rides. Sometimes just in the middle of your apartment. But no matter where it was, you couldn’t help but be entranced by him. He was your muse as well as the person you adored the most.

Looking around the room, you were satisfied. You had filled the shelf with a number of your favorite books that you had brought from home, stuffed the wardrobe with your clothes, and set out a few sheets of paper and pencils on the desk. You had refrained from bringing any posters or wall decorations out of fear that they would get ruined, but the wood walls made up for the lack of coverings with the unique design that spiraled over each plank.

No sooner had you finished did David walk in. “Oh my gosh!” he said, “everything looks wonderful!” He had changed into his camp uniform: A green t-shirt with a tree on the front, brown vest, cargo shorts, white tube socks, and hiking boots. The yellow t-shirt was ever present around his neck.

You let out a small giggle, “Thanks David. So, what do we need to do today?”

He listed off a number of chores that needed to be done before the campers got there. Setting up the tents, stocking the kitchen, setting out the tables in the mess hall, making sure that anything that could be blown up was safely locked away (you kind of stared at David in disbelief at this one, but he assured you that the campers knew the difference between a baseball and a grenade after last year), set up the boats, stock the camp with food, as well as other various housekeeping things like who was staying together in what tent. Luckily, you had about three days before they showed up, so you could take your time.

Grabbing the cloth and rope from storage, you and David headed toward the empty area of camp in order to set up the tents. He assured you that it wouldn’t take too long, but you had never set up a tent from scratch before. Luckily, David had mastered the project, so you just handed him things when he needed them. The tents were set up in record time, so you moved onto the next task and by the end of the day, you had completed most of the manual work around camp. David was ecstatic. “I’ve never gotten everything done so quickly! I think we make a great team, don’t you?” You blushed and rubbed the back you your neck, “Y-yeah, I suppose we do.”

“I think that we’ve earned the rest of the day off. Is there anything you want to do?” Immediately, you look toward the lake, its clear blue water turning gold in the setting of the early summer sun.

“Wanna swim?”

“Well that's a wonderful idea! I thought you would never ask!” He grabbed your arm and began hauling you back toward the cabin so that you could change. You couldn’t help but remember a similar situation just a few weeks ago. You laughed the whole way back.

Once back, you changed into your swimsuit. It was a simple black one-piece suit with your favorite color lining the sides. You slipped a pair of short black trunks over the bottom, grabbed your towel and headed out of your room. You found David waiting in the common room in a pair of bright red board shorts and flip flops. You couldn’t take your eyes off his shirtless form. Though they weren't super prominent, you could see his pecs stick out just a bit. A tight stomach had no washboard abs, but was the look of someone who had a lot of exercise. He had a few small scars here and there, you assumed from years of working in the outdoors. Even though his frame was slender, you could see the muscles in his arms and legs shattering the illusion of a frail man.

 _Damnit he’s hot_.

Your thoughts were soon interrupted when he noticed you walking down the hall. “Ready to go?” he asked as you walked to the front door. He held it open for you before you broke into a dead sprint.

“Last one there is a rotten egg!” you called out as you ran as hard as you could toward the docks.

“No fair! You got a head start!” David began to chase after you in the late afternoon glow. You had too much of a head start and made it to the dock long before him. Throwing your towel on the wooden planks, you dove right in. The cold water was a shock at first, but as you stayed under, you got more and more used to it. You delayed coming up for air as long as possible- being underwater was one of the most freeing experiences for you. The weightlessness, the quiet, the freedom to move how and where you wanted to. You weren’t confined in the water, and you loved it. Eventually, the need to breath became too much, and you surfaced just in time to witness David yell “Cannonball!” and land in the water next to you. Once he came up, you began to sniff the air.

“Smell that?”

“No?” he responded confused.

“I smell a rotten egg.”

He smirked and splashed you. “Well excuse me for trying to be nice by holding the door open,” he said in a mock-offended tone, “I’ll just have to refrain in the future.” You snickered at his attitude and he laughed along with you.

The two of you swam for about an hour before the shadows overtook the lake. The water got too cold to stay in, so you decided to sit on the dock and watch the sunset. With your feet still in the water, you and David sat in silence and watched the majesty of the sunset unfold. The late afternoon sky had gone from a golden orange to a light blush as you watched the sun disappear behind the trees. You looked at David who had a peaceful expression on his face. Eyes half lidded, he looked at you and gave you a small smile. Your cheeks took inspiration from the sky in color before you turned back to it.

Soon, the first stars of the night began to twinkle overhead, so you and David decided to head back to the cabin. He stood and offered his hand to you, which you graciously accepted. You could have sworn you felt him linger before letting your hand go, but you didn’t want to entertain a rather dangerous train of thought. As you walked back, he put out the idea of having a campfire to celebrate your first night at camp. You thought it was a wonderful idea, so after you got dressed, you helped gather firewood and set it up. David, like a true woodsman, lit it with flint and steel. He came to sit by you once it was stable enough to burn without assistance.

“So,” he began, “how was your first day at camp?”

“I don’t think it could have been any better. I think I’m really going to like it here.”

He gave you a small smile, “I’m really glad to hear that. Most people who come through here… don’t appreciate it as much. They can’t see past the surface of the camp to get to the heart of it. Sure, we don’t have the world best facilities, but gosh darn it, we have the most heart.” He emphasized his point by pointing his finger up into the air. Soon after though, he looked a bit embarrassed. “Sorry, I just get kind of passionate about this place I guess.”

You took his hand and looked him in the eyes. “David, don’t ever apologize for being excited about something. It makes me happy that I’ll be able to share with you a place that you love so much. It’s a huge part of your past and I can’t wait to make it part of my present.”

Small tears began to form in the corners of his eyes as he pulled you into a tight hug. “Thank you.” Pulling away, he wiped a tear from his eye. “Alright, enough mushy stuff. I have a surprise for you!” He leaned over the log you were sitting on and grabbed a small green and white cooler, roasting sticks, and Champagne flutes. “I thought that in order to celebrate your first night, we could have the full campfire experience!” Opening the cooler, he revealed hotdogs, buns, marshmallows, and apple juice. Putting a hot dog onto each of the sticks, he handed you yours before pouring the apple juice in the glasses. “You know I’m not really a drinker, so I thought we could just pretend.” He gave you kind of an embarrassed smile as he handed you your flute. Clinking them together, you say “To Camp Campbell!” and take a drink, prompting David to do the same.

You two sat around the fire for a while laughing, talking, singing and just enjoying each others company. Eventually, he pulled out his guitar and you lost yourself in a song he had written about the constellations. As the fire died down, and the last of David’s singing filled the air, you felt completely at peace.

 _Yeah_ you think to yourself  _I’m going to like it here._


	3. 9 to 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title was inspired by 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton! Check it out here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMQmYcYksVs

The next few days were all about getting camp ready. David had taken you into town in order to stock up on a few things. The town (which you learned was called Sleepy Peak) was...plain to put it nicely. There was a general store, a boutique that looked like it should belong to a wild-west themed amusement park, an electronics store that probably didn't have anything newer than an old 70’s boombox if you were lucky, a bar that seemed to double as a restaurant, a hardware store, and what looked like a strip club called “muffin tops.” You suppose you could appreciate the humor in the name, though the thought of it made you uncomfortable.

You and David went to the grocery store and hardware store to pick up a weeks worth of food and supplies for camp. After you packed it all into the car and began unloading it into the kitchen, David got a phone call. You assured him that you could finish putting things away so that he could take the call in good conscience. As you began to put things away, you began to feel as if something was off. Unable to shake the feeling, you doubled down on stacking cans in order to try and distract yourself from the pit in your stomach. You felt like prey being watched by an unseen predator and it was starting to get to you. Stopping for a moment, you try and take deep breaths to ground yourself and stop the way your heart was pounding in your chest.

Turning around, you quickly realized why you felt the way you did. A man with a gray beard and a hook for a hand was standing in the doorframe staring at you.

You screamed and fell on your ass trying to back yourself as far away from his possible. David, hearing your scream, ran into the kitchen. “Oh my Gosh! Are you ok?”

You needed to warn him about the man with the hook, but no words were able to escape your lips, just a terrified look towards the direction he was in. David, following your gaze looked towards the man, who seemed pretty passive about the whole situation. “Oh! I see you’ve met the Quartermaster,” David said with a small chuckle.

“Wait, that’s the Quartermaster?” As David pulled you to your feet, you looked again at the man who looked like the stereotypical lovers lane killer.

“Yep! And he’s the best quartermaster any camp could ever ask for! Isn’t that right Q.M?”

The Quartermaster made a non communal grunt in return. A bit embarrassed, you decided you could at least introduced yourself. “Uh, hi I’m-”

“If I had wanted to harm you, you would already be dead,” said the Quartermaster, holding his hook up to you for emphasis. He turned and walked out of the kitchen leaving you with David.

“That probably could have gone better,” you say as you try to regain your composure.

“Oh psh,” David said, waving his hand in a dismissive way, “He acts like that to everyone new. I remember the first time he threatened me.” He looked up with a fondness in his eyes.

“That really doesn't make me feel any-”

“Hey! You finished packing everything! Great job!”

David cut you off without seeming to notice your discomfort. Even though it bothered you, you wrote it off as David just being excited (though if it continued, you would not hesitate to call him out on it) and let it go.

With the kitchen stocked and your introduction to the Quartermaster over, you and David began going over the campers and their activities. You had heard stories of the kids and how different they all were, but you figured you could manage at least some of them (and from the sound of it, that’s about as good as David and Gwen did last summer). David had paired up the campers based on how they interacted the year before in order to ‘maximize the amount of friendship.’ You double checked the list to make sure that everything was in order, when you realized there was a girl in one of the boys tents.

“David, you put Nikki in Neil and Max’s tent.”

“Yeah! Those three are the best of friends! I'm so glad that they're coming back to camp!” He clasped his hands together and put them next to his face which was adorned by a massive smile.

“Isn't she a girl though?”

“Yeah, but she sleeps in the trees most of the time anyway. We tried to keep her out of them but…” He looked off in the distance with the thousand yard stare before shaking his head. “Anyway, just be careful, she bites.”

“...Noted.”

Going over all of their activities didn't take too long. Preston was back for theater camp, Neil for science, Nikki for adventure, ect. The only ones who had changed were Nurf, who was now signed up for art class with Dolph, and Max who was signed up for music camp. David actually began to break down a bit when you mentioned it. Composing himself, he finally spoke, “I wasn't sure he would come back.”

“Why not?”

With a sad smile, he looked at the paper fondly, “Because of his parents. Max doesn’t  have the best home life and his parents didn't seem to care much about him, opting to send him away to where he couldn't be bothersome for a few months. They hadn’t even signed him up for an activity last year. He's just a little boy mad at a world that he thinks doesn't care about him, which is why I try to make sure he knows that isn't the case. And well, considering the fact he's back makes me think that something got through to him.”

You felt tears welling up in your eyes as you listened to David speak. No child should have to go through that, and you were determined to make sure Max knew you were on his side too.

Later that evening after you and David had said your good nights, you pulled out your journal and began to write about the last two days. You wrote about the car ride and how much David liked the almanac. You wrote about setting up camp and how you and David went swimming. You let your mind drift back to the thought of him in the water, gliding through it effortlessly- he seemed to enjoy it as much as you did. Without realizing it, you had written everything down about the last two days, so you decided to call it a night.


	4. Kids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title was inspired by Kids by MGMT. Check it out here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHb_XIql_gU

“GOOOOD MORNING CO-COUNSELOR!” David kicked open your door, greeting you with an overly enthusiastic tone of voice for the time of day it was.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” You fell out of bed and onto the floor, startled at the sudden awakening. Checking your watch you saw it was about 6am, too early to function properly. You looked up and saw David standing there with his hands on his hips and his ever present smile still on his face. “Aren't you excited to start your first day as being a camp counselor? I know I am! Oh wait! I almost forgot!” And with that he left you in your room alone, on the floor, confused and wondering what the fuck was going on. You blinked and rubbed your eyes a bit before you stood up and threw your blanket back on the bed. David returned with a small gift in his hands. “Quick! Open it!” You did so and found that it was a t-shirt identical to David’s. The forest green background with the dark green tree in the center was pleasant to look at. It certainly reminded you of the camp (  _and David_ a voice in your head told you) and you were grateful to have it.

“Now everyone will be able to see that you're a Campbell counselor too!” He emphasized his excitement by swinging his bent arms side to side.

“Thanks David,” you said groggily, still trying to wake yourself up.

“Put it on! I'm sure you're going to look great!”

“Sure, give me just a sec.” You turned to your wardrobe to grab undergarments only to see David still standing there. “Uhh….?”

He hesitated a moment before realizing why you were looking at him funny. “I'll uh, wait outside.” He chuckled nervously before stepping outside and closing your door.

You put on your new shirt almost immediately after David left. Throwing on a random pair of underwear and cargo shorts, all that was left was your shoes. You decided on sneakers as the first day wasn't going to be super strenuous- mostly introductions and orientation. You brushed your hair out and at the last second, put the rainbow pin boasting the name of the LGBT club from your school on your shirt. Upon deciding you looked as presentable as you were going to get, stepped out of the room.

David took one look at you and lit up like a Christmas tree. Gasping, his cheeks puffed up and his eyes got shiny. He tried to cover his enormous smile with his hands, but they didn't reach quite far enough to do so. “Oh my gosh! You look perfect! And look! We even match!” He pointed to the matching pin he'd placed on his own shirt before giving you a big side hug, trapping your arms to your sides. You felt your face heat up a bit but managed to squeak out a thank you.

Once he released you he began to rattle off everything that passed through his mind about the day. Before he could get too far, though, you placed a finger to his lips and simply said, “Coffee.”

“Of course! The Quartermaster makes great coffee. Come on, let's get to the mess hall.”

You weren't exactly excited to see the Quartermaster again, but coffee is coffee, so you would tough it out. Arriving to the mess hall, David held the door as you stepped inside. It smelled like fresh ground coffee was being brewed or, to your groggy ass, heaven.

“Now, getting the Quartermaster to get your order right is a bit tricky. Luckily, I am a master at it, so I'll go first and show you how it's done.” David struck a confident pose before heading to the counter where the Quartermaster stood. He made a grunting noise at David and David began to list off what he wanted. The QM looked at him for a moment before handing him black coffee. David thanked him and walked back over to you. “See? He got me coffee, that's a success!”

“Isn't it nothing like what you wanted though?”

“Yeah but it's coffee!” He took a sip, before grimacing at the bitter taste. “Yep. That's, wow, that's strong.” He set the mug down before returning to you. “Ok, now you try.”  You made your way over to the QM and he gave you a grunt. Immediately, you knew what David had done wrong.

 _The Q.M isn't a morning person either._  Luckily, you were fluent in morning grunt speak. He grunted again.

_Mornin_

You grunted back.

_Morning, got coffee?_

_Yeah, whatcha want._

_Whatever is here with a bit of milk and sugar._

He poured you your coffee and handed it to you with his hook.  _Tell the red one that I ain’t dealin' with no little shits this year. They want coffee they're gonna make it themselves._

You turned to David, “He says he ain’t dealin' with no little shits this year and if they want coffee they're going to have to make it themselves.”

Startled, David simply responded, “Okay?”

You returned your attention back to the quartermaster who now was looking at you dead in the eyes. In coherent speech he said, “You have begun to earn my trust. Continue to do so and I may decide to spare you some day.” You nodded and went your separate ways. Sipping on your mug, you took a seat at the table nearest to David, and he took a seat across from you.

“How did you-”

“You're a morning person, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then you will never understand the ways of the grunt.” You took another sip from your coffee, admiring its taste. “This coffee is good though, I'll give you that.”

“Yep, sure is,” David said nervously before dumping his into a potted plant. You swear to you heard a wheeze before the thing died. “Anyway, are you ready to meet the campers?”

You actually couldn't wait to meet everyone- they all seemed so interesting but, another part of you was incredibly nervous to do so. You sighed, “I just hope they like me.” As you swirled the coffee in your mug, you felt David put a hand on your shoulder. “Hey, I’m sure that they're going to love you. I mean, what's not to like?” He gave you a bashful smile before returning his hand to his side.

“Thanks,” you say, trying to process what just happened.

“Any time. Ready to start the day?”

You downed the rest of your coffee. “Let's do it.”

The next few hours were some of the longest and shortest of your life. You and David went around to double check all the tents and set out all of the things needed for the day's activities. The work was slightly tedious, but before long, it was noon. You and David stood at the entrance of the camp, waiting for the bus to show up any minute. He was bouncing up and down in his place, unable to contain his excitement.

“Geez Davey, I don't think I've ever seen you so excited.”

“I can't help it,” he said laughing, “I can't wait for everyone to get here. It's going to be so wonderful!” He spun around on one foot and spread his arms open wide. You giggled at him before turning back to the road. There it was, the old yellow school bus that was holding your summer in its deteriorating seats. Meanwhile, David was bouncing in a circle standing next to you. When the bus was about a hundred feet away, he started running towards it. “Welcome back to Camp Camp-,” he got cut off by his own scream as he was hit by the large yellow vehicle. You ran over to make sure he was okay, when the doors opened.

“Kids ‘re here,” said the Quartermaster. He stepped out of the bus as you helped David off the ground when the first of the kids appeared. He was dressed in a performance tux complete with a small top hat.

“Harrison!” David cried, “Welcome back!”

“Hey David,” replied Harrison, “It’s nice to see you again. Care for some rice?” As he said it, a small bag of rice appeared in his hand, “Or dice?” He did it again and two red dice were now where the bag was, “No, I know, you need ice!” Once more, with a swish of his hand, the dice were gone and an icepack was in its place. Harrison handed it to David before hopping off the bus and heading toward the mess hall.

“Thank you Harrison!” He called as he put the ice pack to his head.

“Oh please,” came a second voice, “If you wanted to be healed so bad, I could have just cast healing word on you.” A girl with a pointed wizards hat and cape came next. She had fake ears attached to her real ones, giving them a pointed look.

“You must be Nerris!” You said.

“Yes, that is my common name, but my full title is Lady Nerris the Cute.”

“Well, please excuse my ignorance Lady Nerris,” you say with a small curtsy, “If it would please her, may I join her in her court sometime?”

“I think we might be able to- wait, what edition do you play?”

“5e.”

“It would please the court then if you would join us.”

She hopped off the bus an was headed towards the mess hall before looking over her shoulder, “I was worried you were gonna say 3.5.”

“Pfft, as if.”

“Like, totally right?” Another voice joined the fray, this one belonging to a girl who seemed a few years older than the rest. She blew a bubble with the gum she was chewing before flipping her hair out of her face. “The name’s Ered.”

“Like the desert?”

“Totally. Are you like, the new counselor?”

“He sure is!” David chimed in, “We’ll get to more formal introductions in a bit. Right now, go ahead and meet with the others in the mess hall.”

“Cool.” She grabbed her skateboard and kicked off towards the others.

“A new counselor?” Piped a fourth voice, this one being a bit posh. “Excellent! Another body to add to my adoring public.”

“More like fresh meat,” came a fifth.

“Nurf, I will not having you ruin this for me, first impressions are everything!” As he stood before you, you noticed he was very Shakespearean looking. It was mainly the hair and ruffled collar.

“Whatever Prisston,” said the other boy, finally coming into view. He was larger with red hair and freckles covering his face. “Just stay out of my way.”

“Now boys,” said David, trying to keep the peace, “let's not start this summer off on the wrong foot. Nurf, I think you owe Preston an apology.”

The larger boy sighed before turning to the brunette, “Preston, I'm sorry I made fun of your name. I was just working out the fact that I'm nervous to meet a new person in a way that was unhealthy and unfair to you.”

“It's quite alright Nurf, I know you're working through your issues.” He hopped off the bus and produced a single rose, “I hope to see you in the audience good sir. I assure you that my love for the theater will capture your heart as much as it does mine. Adieu.”

You swore you heard him say ‘nailed it’ as he walked away. The larger boy still stood in the frame of the bus. “You're Nurf right? It’s nice to meet you. I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do this summer.”

Before he could respond, a voice from the back of the bus piped up. “NURF. MOVE YOUR FAT ASS. THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE ON THIS BUS WHO WANT TO GET OFF.” Nurf looked like he was going to yell, but instead he took a few deep breaths before stepping off. “It's nice to meet you too. I'm working on a few things right now so if I get upset, please don't take it personally, even if I make it sound like it is.”

David wiped away a tear. “Nurf. You've come so far. I'm so proud of you.”

“WHATEVER BUTT MUNCH.” He yelled with a sinister smile before heading towards the camp.

 _“_ Vhat vas zee holdup,” said the next voice. You couldn't quite believe what you were seeing. He looked just like a young A- “Dolph. Nice to meet you. I’m looking forward to vurking vith you zis summer. I've always found that a camp like this helps mine concentration. Don’t you?”

Stunned, you just nodded.

“Dolph! Welcome back to camp!”

“Gutentag David, it is nice to see you again.” As he waved, you couldn't help but notice that the angle of his hand was just a bit to perfect for your comfort.

“Why don't you head to the hall with the others, we’ll be there shortly.”

As Dolph got off the bus, a teal haired girl jumped off and came flying at you. You ducked as she sailed over where your head would have been.

“Nikki! I told you not to do that!”

“You can't control me Neil! I'm a free bird! The lone wolf in sheep’s clothing! Arooooo!” You watched as the girl howled into the air. She seemed almost as excited as David to be outside. Keeping your eye on her, you turned towards the boy.

“You're Neil, right? Science camp?”

“Pfft, if you can call it that. I'm only here to get away from my Dad for the summer.”

“Aww come on Neil. You know you missed us.” She turned her attention towards you, “Hi, I'm Nikki. Survivalist, outdoorsman, wolf communicator, and wilderness explorer extraordinaire.”

“Hey Nikki. I'd shake your hand but I've heard that you bite.”

She shrugged, “I'm just glad to know my reputation precedes me- OOOOOOOH, WHAT'S ON YOUR SHIRT?" Without warning, you suddenly found her standing on your h=chest using your shirt as leverage as she examined your button.

"Oh, that's just a pin from a club David and I are a part of back home," you explain. 

"Yep!" David chimed in, "I have one too, see?"

"Isn't that the pride symbol?" Neil asked with genuine curiosity. You beamed.

"Yeah! That's awesome that you know it!"

"Oh yeah," Neil continued, "Nurf kinda bullied me into learning the different flags last year. Though I can't say he had to try too hard. The culture is fascinating to learn about- such a spectrum!" 

You were about to reply when Nikki suddenly jumped off of you and grabbed Neil by the arm.

"Enough chit-chat," she said. "Come on Neil, let's cause a little chaos." She gave you a mock salute and ran off. Neil followed her, trying to keep up.

You chuckled as you watched them go. The next child to make an appearance was quite...unique. He was dressed in a full, homemade space suit and saluted you and David. “Greetings fellow Earthlings, I come in peace.”

“Welcome back Space Kid. Thanks again for talking your uncle into not suing us.”

“My pleasure. I just can't wait to get back into the great beyond!” He pulled out a toy rocket and began flying it around, making the noises with his voice.

“Space Kid?” You asked David.

“Technically, Neil Armstrong Jr., but we call him Space Kid.”

“Oh so he was named after Neil Armstrong.”

“Yeah, his great-grandfather.”

“Wait. Then who’s his uncle?”

“Buzz Aldrin.”

You stared at David for a second, in shock. “You met Buzz Aldrin?”

“Well, technically yes. He kind of punched me in the face.”

“What? Why?”

“Probably because he was being a fucking idiot, as per usual.” Turning back to the bus, you saw the last child. Standing in his blue hoodie, was Max.

“Max,” David scolded, “language.”

Max just rolled his eyes before turning his attention to you. “So, how many sorry-ass jobs did you have to turn down for this fucking paradise?”

“I... volunteered?”

“That's tragic. Is he holding you hostage? Blink twice if you need help.”

“Max, I assure you I'm not holding anyone hostage. He's the new counselor for the year. Gwen couldn't come this summer,” David explained.

“Wow, so she escaped this hell-hole? Wish I could say the same. But here I am again back in my fucking nightmare of a summer camp for the next three months.” He threw his arms over his head, trying to encompass all of the camp. “Listen,” he said looking at you, “I don't know you, but if you're anything like him, I guarantee I'm not going to like you. So just stay out my way or I'll make life very difficult.” With that he headed off towards the mess hall.

“I think that went great.” David said.

What the hell have you gotten yourself into?


	5. Revolution Radio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and its title was inspired by Revolution Radio by Green Day. Check it out here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHPKOy3dtqQ

Concerned at what had just transpired, you look to David for help. "Is he always like that?"  
  
"Oh no, usually he would insult me much more. I think Max has gotten a lot better! This is going to be the best summer ever!"  
  
Still a bit unnerved by the now eleven year old, you decided that in the end, what's the worst he could do? Spider in your underwear? A snake in the bathroom? You figured you could handle what he was going to throw at you, after all, he was just a kid.  
  
"Well, I think it's time we formally introduce you to everyone! Come on! I'm sure they're all dying to meet you!" He gently placed his hand on your back before leading you toward the mess hall where the kids were waiting. Seeing as how most of the other first impressions went well, you figured that this wouldn't be so bad. Plus, having David at your side made you relax a lot more.  
  
He handed you a clipboard with everyones names on it just in case you forgot who was who, as well as what activities they were in. Taking a deep breath, you stepped inside to find the kids talking amongst themselves. Some conversations were about the school year, others were chatting about what shenanigans would happen this summer. You saw Max quietly talking with Nikki and Neil in the back corner of the room. You kept your eyes on them until David clapped his hands together, grabbing the attention of the kids.  
  
"Alrighty campers! I'd like to formally introduce you to _____! He's our newest counselor and my best friend from back home! Say hello _____!" He seemed even more animated than usual, and you weren't sure if it was because of camp itself or for the sake of the kids.  
  
"Uh, hey," you began unsure of what exactly what to say, "I'm _____ and I'm excited to get to work with you all this summer. Like David said, we met back home and became really fast friends. So, when I heard that the camp needed a new counselor, I decided to volunteer. I'll be taking over a few of the activities in Gwen's absence, more specifically I'll be in charge of," you looked at your sheet, "magic camp, the dice kind," you added, "theater camp, science camp, and scuba camp." The kids perked up a bit at the last mention.  
  
"You know how to scuba dive!?" Nikki asked, eyes shining in wonder and excitement.  
  
"Uh, yeah. I have my license and stuff so I should be able to teach the basics, I can't promise that you'll all be perfect by the end of the summer, though."  
  
"That's pretty cool," said Ered, flipping her hair back out of her face. "Can't wait to start."  
  
"Ja! Ja! I vant to learn too!" Said Dolph.  
  
"Ok kids," David interjected, "I know that you're all excited to have our new counselor here, but let's not jump the gun too fast. After all, we have a new camp to add to our program this year!"  
  
The kids looked confused so David explained, "We found a way to add a music camp to the curriculum, so we all get to learn the basics! Isn't that exciting?"  
  
They looked less than impressed.  
  
"Who wants to learn about music anyway? It's just an excuse to make people seem more "well-rounded" when in reality all that's gonna happen is you're gonna give us shitty recorders and make us play hot crossed buns for hours on end." Max wasn't exactly thrilled to learn about the new curriculum.  
  
"Well Max, I'm sorry you feel that way, considering you're signed up for music camp this summer." David said, genuinely sounding a bit down, "But, I'm sure by the end of it, you'll be a great musician! All you kids will be!" He had perked back up, you assume imagining the kids at the end of camp singing their goodbyes.  
  
"No. No no no no no no no no no. Hell fucking no." Max said. "I'm not here to sit and sing with your overly cheery ass all day. Not gonna happen."  
  
"Of course not Max, you know that it's isn't every day! Each day we focus on a different child. Remember?" He flashed his signature grin.  
  
"That's another thing, stop calling us kids. I think we've been through enough trauma to be considered young adults."  
  
"Yeah!" Agreed Nerris, "We're eleven now, practically adults." She had crossed her arms and closed her eyes in an I'm-not-going-to-hear-anything-else kind of pose. You're mind immediately flashed to 'I'm eleven, so shut the fuck up' and you let slip a slight laugh.  
  
Max's eyes darted to you, "What's so funny newbie?"  
  
"Oh nothing, you just remind me of something I saw a while back."  
  
Less than impressed, Max jumped up onto the nearest table and began to address the other campers. "Fellow men and women of Camp Campbell. Are we just going to sit here and let these two dictate what we're going to do this summer for the second year in a row?"  
  
"Max," Neil began, "If you're proposing that we try to take over camp again, I want to remind you how well that went last year."  
  
"Yeah but that was your idea and Cameron isn't exactly here this summer, now is he?"  
  
"Fair enough, carry on."  
  
You looked at David, "Did he just say take over the camp?"  
  
"Heh, yeah. It's kind of a tradition at this point."  
  
"What the hell does that me-"  
  
"I say we rebel against our captors and make our own rules! Make Camp Campbell a place we can enjoy and not just mindlessly follow orders like sheeple. It's time to wake up and take back what it rightfully ours- summertime!"  
  
The kids cheered and began to advance on you and David. He began to sweat a bit out of nervousness, "Alright c-campers. That's enough. I think we should all calm down and get to our tents!" There was a very pregnant pause before the kids piled onto you and David, causing you both to scream.  
  
And that's how you found yourself tied to the flagpole on your very first day as counselor. You watched in horror as the campers began to trash the place by lighting fires, throwing food, knocking over tables, and generally acting like savages. You had to think of an idea to get out of this.  
  
"Don't worry co-counselor!" David said from behind you, "As soon as I free myself, we can get this place back in order, and everything will return back to normal."  
  
"David, what even is normal here?"  
  
He was about to answer before you heard an explosion coming from the direction of the stage. You heard Preston scream "Oh the humanity!" in the distance.  
  
 _Humanity_? You thought to yourself, before an idea slapped you square in the face.  
  
"David! I have an idea! Try to get someone's attention!"  
  
"Kids! Hey! Can someone please come talk to us for a second? I think we need to discuss the current state of the camp!"  
  
"No! You have to think like them! If you act like a counselor, there's no way that they'll get us down. And I am NOT staying the night tied to the fucking flagpole!"  
  
"Language!"  
  
You let out a frustrated sigh before peering around the camp. Kids were beginning to give each other war paint and already a fight club had started. You had to get this under control before it went full Mad Max on you. Scanning the grounds, you spotted Nikki about to shoot an apple off of the head of a very nervous Space Kid. You called to her.  
  
"Yes newbie?" She let the arrow fly and it stuck into the tree right next to Space Kid's head.  
  
"Come here, I have a bit of a favor to ask you."  
  
Squinting her eyes at you, she began to walk over. "And what's in it for me?"  
  
"I'll give you double dessert for the week." She was suddenly in front of you.  
  
"Nikki, at your service!" She said as she gave you the camp salute.  
  
"I need you to go get Max and bring him here. I need to speak with him, adult to adult."  
  
She was gone in a flash. David tried to ask you what your plan was, but you couldn't tell him. You knew he would oppose immediately, and for this to work, you needed him to work with you. All you could do was tell him to trust you.

"Well well well, breaking already?" Max strutted up to you smugly. "Gwen lasted a whole 24 hours you know."  
  
You sighed before speaking. "Max, you're right. We should treat you more like adults. David told me about what happened here last year and after what you all went through, it's not fair to see you as 'just kids'."  
  
"Uh-huh, glad we had this ta-"  
  
"But if you think this is how adults would act in a situation like this, you're more juvenile than you look."  
  
He stopped walking. "What the hell does that mean?"  
  
David piped up, "He doesn't mean it! He-"  
  
"Shut up David." Max demanded as he turned his attention back to you.  
  
"All I'm saying is that if you were really adults, you would act like them. All this is doing is proving that you can't be trusted to be alone for more than a few minutes without destroying something. You're not even acting your ages, you're acting like toddlers. Which is why I have a proposition for you."  
  
"I'm listening."  
  
"I propose a card game. David and I vs the rest of camp. Whoever wins gets to do with Camp Campbell what they will, and the others have to abide by it. Since it's so many vs just the two of us, I get to choose the game."  
  
He pondered for a moment. "Sure, why not? I have nothing better to do." Reaching into his hair, he pulled out a pocket knife and cut you down.  
  
You managed to land you your feet, though you stumbled a bit, before going to help David.  
  
"What game did you have in mind anyway?" Max asked. "Blackjack? BS? Strip poker?"  
  
"No, it's called Cards Against Humanity. It's an adult party game."  
  
David nearly choked when he heard that. "We can't play that with them! They're just kids! It could really mess them up!"  
  
"Hey man, they're adults now. Remember? Might as well introduce them to our games."  
  
"Yeah David. What? Can't handle a little card game?" Max sneered.  
  
"Max you don't understand."  
  
"The only thing I understand, David, is that we've got a camp to keep. See you in the mess hall." Max walked off waving dismissively behind him. As he left, you managed to undo the last of the ropes holding up David. He looked frantic and upset as he grabbed your shoulders.  
  
"We  _really_  can't play this with them. It'll warp them too bad. You know some of that stuff makes even me uncomfortable. I don't think I can do this."  
  
You grabbed his hands and brought them down in between the two of you. "I know it will. But they have to learn that being an adult isn't all sunshine and rainbows."  
  
"It can be if you just ignore everything else!"  
  
"But what happens when you do that!" You gripped his hands tighter. "This may be the only chance we get. I need you to at least pretend to be on board until we start. You know our house rules always give a cop-out. Please, David."  
  
He closed his eyes and sighed before looking up at you, unhappy with the situation.

"Okay."


	6. Say Amen (Saturday Night)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title was inspired by Say Amen (Saturday Night) by Panic! At The Disco. Check it out here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy8wclUmYWA

Heading off to your room with David in tow, you weren't quite sure how this would turn out. You knew that you were going to handle the game just fine, but David? He was a bit more squeamish. Even just amongst your friends he tried his best to play, but ultimately had to stop due to discomfort. It didn't bother you, the game wasn't exactly built for every type of person in mind, but it made you nervous to think you would have to go 10 v 1 to a bunch of preteens. You just hoped that it made them as uncomfortable as it did David. You were counting on it, actually.

Upon reaching your room, you were grateful to have found it untouched. Unlocking the door and stepping inside, you immediately reached under the bed to find your hidden prize. The sleek, glossy box had a little dust from not being used in a while, but it was still the same, terrible game you loved dearly. You turned to face David who was still looking very apprehensive.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” He asked, hoping you would change your mind on this.

“No. In fact, I know it’s a horrible idea. But someone’s gotta teach these little shits a lesson.”

“You sound a lot like Gwen.”

You smiled a little. “I’m sure we’d get along just fine then.” Leaving your room with David close behind, you set off back towards the mess hall.

The kids all turned to face you once you and David stepped inside. They had arranged the tables into one long one with two empty seats near the end. At the opposite side was Max. The rest of the campers lined the sides, reminiscent of a king and his court. You placed the box in the center of the table and opened it, revealing it’s cards neatly stacked together.

“Alright, here’s how this is gonna work. Each player gets seven white cards,” you say as you begin making stacks, “and you try and make the best, worst, or funniest match to the black cards.” You set out another few stacks of them, allowing for easy reach between all players. “The judge, or Czar, decides who wins the black card. First to ten cards wins.”

“That doesn’t sound very hard,” Neil said suspiciously.

“Yeah, it’s almost like you’re trying to lose.” Harrison added.

“Well players,” you began, “with all things in life, there is a catch. One that you will learn about soon enough. But, I’m merciful, so here’s what’s gonna go down.

“For the first round, don’t look at your cards until I tell you. If you don’t know what a card means, you have to look it up and read the definition aloud- no exceptions. If you feel so uncomfortable that you can’t play, you drop out and wait outside. If it’s one of you, that means you accept the fact that you’re a kid and will be treated as such. The team who either has someone get to ten cards first or has the most players remaining by the end, wins.”

“Sounds easy to me,” Max said confidently rubbing his hands together. “Let’s play.”

One by one, the kids started drawing their cards. You almost felt bad, knowing that they had no idea what was about to befall them. You grabbed your own and placed them face down on the table with David following suit. He still looked wildly uncomfortable with everything that was going on, and you didn’t blame him. You weren’t exactly excited to be playing such a mature game with minors, but you also weren’t excited about the idea of bending at the knee to an eleven year old, either. You gave David a reassuring smile, which he returned before looking like he was about to face his death sentence.

“Max," you asked, "since you seem to be in charge, how about you be the first Czar?”

He seemed pleased by the opportunity, and grabbed a card off the top. His confidence slipped momentarily as he read the card aloud, “Daddy? Why is mommy crying?”

“Time to grab your cards, everyone.”

You watched as the campers picked up their cards and watched the mix of reactions they gave. Some were confused, others horrified. Nerris looked like she was going to puke, and Space kid didn’t even say a word before getting up and leaving the table. You smiled sweetly at those before you.

“Let the game begin.”

David didn’t even last past the first round, not that you’d expected him to. You were going to win this on your own, or die trying. Once all the cards were in, and the kids all looked at each other uneasily, Max began to read.

“Exactly what you’d expect, a pyramid of severed heads, daddy issues, revenge fucking, a home video of Oprah sobbing into a Lean Cuisine, two midgets shitting into a bucket, a gassy antelope, historical revisionism, and dying of dis...disentry?.”

“Dysentery, Max. And now you have to look it up.” You said as you tossed him your phone.

He grabbed it before typing it into the search bar. “Infection of the intestines which results in- oh my God.” He threw your phone back at you, unable to finish, so you did it. The campers looked much more uneasy now then they were at the beginning. Your plan was working perfectly.

Preston was the next to drop followed by Nerris. By the time you had gone all the way around the table, there were eight players left: Max, Neil, Nikki, Harrison, Ered, Nurf, Dolph, and yourself. You only had one black card but you didn’t care. You were in this for the long haul rather than going for a win the traditional way. Max seemed nervous to pick up another black card. “What’s wrong Max?” You asked, mimicking his tone of voice from earlier in the day, “Can’t handle a little card game?” He glared at you before grabbing the next card.

A few rounds went by before Neil left after receiving the Auschwitz card, which was played by exactly who you’d expect. Nikki had to leave after being subjected to the horror of the Pacman card, and having to look up what a certain word meant. She looked like she was going to have war flashbacks from this night. Ered dipped after being unable to read ‘my vagina’ out loud in front of so many people, and Harrison couldn’t take any of it anymore, opting to run out of the building screaming and crying. After the second rotation, it was you, Max, Dolph, and Nurf.

“I don’t really get why they’re so upset.” Nurf said.

“Ja, zis game is kinda boring once ze shock value vears off."

“Well then,” you sneered,”How about we make it more interesting?” You grabbed some of the blank cards from the box and handed each kid a dry erase marker. “Use your imagination. Get creative and see what you can come up with.” Getting these kids to quit was going to be much more difficult than you realized. But you could probably get by with the black cards at this point. You had won seven, more than any of the other three, but with numbers of players slimming, so did your chance of winning.

A few rounds of original cards worked. One of the others made a crack about Nurf’s anger issues, causing him to get upset.

“OH, SO YOU’RE SAYING I HAVE ISSUES HUH? THAT I’M SOME FREAK THAT CAN’T CONTROL HIS EMOTIONS? WELL HOW ABOUT THIS? IS THIS CALM AND COLLECTED? OR IS THIS THE PRODUCT OF SOMEONE BEING PUSHED TO HIS LIMITS.” He flipped one of the empty tables sending cards flying and causing Dolph to escape the building out of self-preservation. “THIS GAME IS STUPID AND I HATE IT.” Nurf slammed the door on his way out. Leaving you and Max alone at the table.

“Well, we don’t have enough people to continue, so we’d better clean up.” Max just kind of nodded along with what you said as you left the table to gather up the cards that were flung. You didn’t want to push him too much, so you were able to fix the table yourself. Once everything had been cleaned and returned to its place, you patted the seat next to you, prompting Max to come sit with you. “What do you want from us, Max?”

“I don’t know. I thought I had wanted to break David last summer, but once I did, I actually felt kind of guilty about it? Like, whatever situation I was put in, I wanted to make things as difficult as possible. Part of me still wants too, but understanding David better now, I don’t know why I should even bother trying with anything since I’m just gonna suck at it and have him either be overly joyful about me ‘trying’ or some shit, or disappoint him.” He put his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them. “I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. You’re just gonna run and tell him anyway.”

“I have an absolutely massive crush on David.” You confided.

“Umm, why are you telling me this?”

“Because,” you smiled and ruffled his hair, “now we each have something we shouldn't tell David. I won’t tell him about what you told me here tonight, as long as you don’t tell him what I told you. What we talk about stays between us. No matter what.” You held your pinkie out, “Promise?”

He gave you a weak smile, but locked his pinkie with yours. “Promise. But I should warn you, I heard David beat a woman at a bar once. I think her name was Shirley Temple or something? Bartender said he hit her pretty hard.”

“Max, a Shirley temple is a non-alcoholic drink.”

He blinked a few times. “Man, I don’t know what’s sadder. The fact that David went to a bar for a non-alcoholic drink or the fact that I thought he actually had it in him to beat a woman.”

“Yeah, David is pretty nonviolent.”

“I literally watched him beat a man with a chair for dating his ex.”

Now it was your turn to blink. “He did what now?”

“I mean, it was kind of our fault for putting him into the situation, but yeah. Totally busted a chair over the guy.”

_David what the fuck._ You thought to yourself.

“Anyway,” you continued, “I don’t expect you to want to talk about everything all the time. But if there’s a situation you need to talk about, just know that you can always come to me. I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thanks newbie.” He said lightly punching you in the arm. “But don’t you dare think I’ll be going easy on you. I have a reputation to keep up.”

“Ok Max,” you said, giving him a sympathetic smile.


	7. Fix You

You held the door open for Max as you exited the mess hall, stepping into the cool night air and taking in the damage. It seemed like most of the fires had been put out, though the rest of the camp still looked to be a disaster. This included the campers. You saw Harrison shivering on the ground in fetal position slowly rocking back and forth. Nerris had a bucket next to her, looking a bit green in color. Neil stood rubbing his arm uncomfortably stealing a glance at Dolph. Nikki was sitting stock still on the ground, eyes unmoving and mouth slightly ajar. You thought you heard a faint ‘waka-waka’ coming from her but you weren’t sure. Ered was leaning against the flagpole, hair obscuring her face while Nurf was stabbing the nearest tree. Space kid seemed relatively ok, but you assumed that is was because he didn’t play. In the middle of them all was a very stern looking David, not glaring at you, but giving you a look that pierced your soul.

“Are you satisfied?” He asked. Not giving you time to answer,  he turned and walked off toward the counselors cabin.

_Shit._

Max looked to you and watched as you drew a shaky breath, trying to steady yourself. Maybe this had gone too far, the poor kids looked shell shocked. You felt awful, all you wanted was to get the camp back and even though you knew there was going to be some fallout, you had no idea it was going to be this bad. And to put the cherry on the on the top of this shit show of a Sunday, David was upset with you.

_Shit shit SHIT._ You had no idea how you were going to fix this, so you just started talking.

“Guys, I...I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have put you through that. It went too far.” All eyes were on you now. “But I need you guys to understand something. Being an adult kinda sucks. A lot of what you guys read on the cards we as adults have to face and live with every day and it’s the fucking worst. Sure, we do our best to laugh at it, but the truth is is that no one knows what they’re doing in this bat-shit crazy world. All we can do is try and push forward and hope we didn’t get too fucked up by the last thing to face the next.”

Pausing for a moment, you blinked back tears and composed yourself. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that you shouldn’t try to grow up so fast. Enjoy the time you have as a kid because it’s the only chance you’ll get to do so. Then once you’re an adult you have to make fun of the horrible shit in the world just to be able to cope.” The kids gave weak chuckles, seeming to come out of their dazed states. Nikki walked over before wrapping her arms around your legs. Soon enough the rest of the kids followed suit and you were just a mass of stupid giggles and hugs.

Feeling your face get wet, you reached up and found that you were crying. Sniffling, you wiped away your tears as the kids released you. You helped walk them to their tents and got them settled before heading back to to your room. With each step, the pit in your stomach began to weigh you down more and more. You knew you had to talk to David, but you were worried to do so. You tried to reassure yourself that he would forgive you, and that he was probably incapable of hating anyone, but still your stomach continued to tie itself in knots. You reached his door and hesitated a moment before knocking. You heard a shuffling noise before it opened, the redhead standing before you. He looked tired, though not from lack of sleep.

“David, I-”

“It’s late _____, you should get some sleep. We can talk tomorrow.” He closed the door on you, leaving you staring at the wood in silence, the only sound being that of the bugs buzzing outside. Defeated, you turned and walked into your room kicking off your shoes and crawling into bed. You don’t bother changing into pajamas, you were too exhausted. Figuring you should try and vent a bit, you picked up your journal and began to write about your first day as a counselor.

_You traumatized the campers and pissed off your best friend. Great job._ You shook your head trying to clear your mind of David.

_But you also got to meet all of the campers and put a stop to a revolution. That’s a plus. And you might have taught them a very poignant lesson? Maybe?_ Stopping to think back at what you said, you hope that at least a little of it would stick with them. You meant every word.

_Max is interesting. We have a small pact with each other now. I think he’s gonna turn out ok though._ You smiled when you thought of your brief conversation, then added hastily,  _Don’t ever underestimate that one. He has more tricks up his sleeve than Harrison._

You wrote for a bit longer, and it did end up making you feel a little better. Reflecting on how the kids reacted to you after gave you hope for your future here. They didn’t hate you, and maybe all of you can come to better understand each other over the summer.

_As for David_ you wrote  _I have no idea how to make it up to him. I don’t think I’d ever seen him so upset. He says we’re going to talk, but I don’t know if that makes me more or less nervous._ Sighing, you add the last of your thoughts to the page.  _At least we can talk it out. Ignoring the issue would only make thing worse._

Placing the journal on the nightstand next to you, you flick out the light and head to sleep, exhausted from the day’s events.


	8. Sing it All Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title was inspired by Sing it All Away by Walk Off the Earth, Check it out here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU8xYDTg2MA

Sleep didn’t come to you that night. You tossed and turned most the night trying to force the damn sandman to bring you a dream, but he never showed up. Eventually you gave up and decided to get ready for the day, grabbing what clothes you would need and stepping into the bathroom to shower. The water preasure sucked but at least it was warm. You delayed getting out the warm embrace of the shower as long as possible, but eventually, the water began to turn cold. Turning off the flow, you stepped out and got dressed, brushed your teeth and brushed out your hair.

You left the sanctity of the bathroom with your things, half expecting to see David sitting outside waiting. When he wasn’t, you were both equal parts sad and relieved. The time in your room was a flurry of emotions you weren’t quite sure how to deal with, and bile had begun to make its way up your throat. You forced it back down- vomiting was the last thing you needed right now.

After throwing on your hiking shoes, you made the journey to the mess hall figuring you were going to need some strong ass coffee to get you through today and praying that the Quartermaster could fix you up. The handle on the door to the hall was cold against your skin as you pulled it open. Once inside, you found that the tables had been moved back to their original places and there in the corner sat David, sipping of a mug of coffee and browsing his phone. He looked up at you as you stepped inside and lifted his mug in acknowledgement before returning to his device.

Going through the routine once more with the Q.M, you got black coffee and sat down across the table from David. Each of you were silent for a moment before you spoke at the same time.

“I want to apologize- wait what?” You looked at each other confused.

“David why are you apologizing?”

“Because your plan worked and I was a huge jerk about it! I left you alone at night and closed the door in your face!”

“But I practically traumatized the entire camp with that stupid game! You have every right to be upset at me! I fucked everything up on my first day of counselor.” Tears you didn’t know you had left began flooding your eyes. David gently took your chin and turned it up towards him, wiping away the tears as they came.

“Hey now. You didn’t mess anything up. While yes, there could have been a better way to go about things, I doubt they would have been as effective.”

“But-”

“No buts. You did just fine by using what you had at your disposal. It was actually quite brilliant, you know aside from the whole trauma thing.”

You chuckled a bit, and wiped your own eyes. “That still doesn’t make it so that you need to apologize, though. You didn’t do anything wrong. If anything, your reaction was totally reasonable! You didn’t even yell. That’s more than I can say if I had been in your shoes.” You swirled the mug around in your cup before taking a swig. Tasting something way off, you spit it out immediately. “What the fuck? It’s salty!”

David guiltily pulled a salt shaker from under the table. “Well, since you won’t let me apologize for last night, I can be sorry about that.”

“You asshole,” you laughed as you gently punched him in the arm. “Going to comfort me while you put salt in my cup is a dick move.” You gave him a small smile to let him know you were only joking. You both knew you deserved it.

You leaned your head on your arm and yawned, the lack of sleep and caffeine already getting to you, and you couldn’t stop your thoughts from wandering to the kids. David, noticing your melancholy state, pulled up a song on his phone. As it began to play, he stood up and offered you his hand to dance. You immediately recognized it- ‘Put on a Happy Face’ by Dick Van Dyke. It was the first swing chart the two of you ever choreographed a dance to.

“  _Gray skies are gonna clear up. Put on a happy face. Brush off the clouds and cheer up. Put on a happy face_ ,” David sang prompting you to join him. You took his hand and began to dance around the room as he continued to sing. “  _Take of the gloomy mask of tragedy. It's not your style_ ,” he sang, punctuating the lyric by gently grabbing your chin between is thumb and forefinger, “y  _ou'll look so good that you'll be glad you decided to smile._

“  _Pick out a pleasant outlook. Stick out that noble chin. Wipe off that full-of-doubt look. Slap on a happy grin. And spread sunshine all over the place_ ,” he spun you out and back into his chest, “  _just put on a happy face_.” The two of you swug all around the room singing and enjoying the movement of the music. You adored dancing with David. He usually lead, but it was never forceful- always gentle nudges in the right direction. His hands never strayed to far up or down your hip, always keeping it at a respectful middle ground. You helped keep him in step by moving your hips in tempo to the rhythm. Holding onto your hands, he spun you so that he was behind you, your arms crossed at your waist as you and he moved side to side, “  _I knew a girl so gloomy she’d never laugh or sing. She wouldn't listen to me, now she's a mean old thing_.”

You unraveled and were now spinning in a circle, each of your arms outstretched above your head. “  _So spread sunshine all over the place, just put on a happy face._ ”

Coming back to him, you continued your routine, a smile ever growing on each of your faces. You were both so enthralled by the music, you didn’t notice the growing audience entering the building. The campers all watched as you two sang and swung around the mess hall each having a different mixture of excitement or joy spread on their face. A few of them even tried to follow your steps by pairing up and doing their own modified versions of a swing dance. As the song ended and your routine finished in a dip, you were slightly startled by the sudden cheering that came from the entrance. David helped you back up to your feet and the pair of you bowed.

“Good morning campers!” David gushed cheerfully. “I’m glad you enjoyed that because today is the first day of dance camp! We’re going to learn the basics of partner dancing today! Doesn’t that sound great?” The kids look genuinely excited to learn how to dance.

As they got in line for breakfast, Max walked into the hall, late. He noticed that there was much more chatter than usual and watched you and David making plans for the day. Making his way to the line, he came up behind Neil who was talking with Preston.

“I agree,” Neil stated, “there certainly does seem to be something there.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Max questioned.

“Oh Max! You missed it!” Preston exclaimed. “Our very own counselors dancing around the room wrapped in a passionate embrace, completely lost in each others eyes. It was like a modern day fairy tale. They were fantastic!” He punctuated his last statement by slamming his elbows down to his sides, hands clenched into fists.

“Dancing?”

“Yeah!” Nikki had appeared from in front of Preston. Gasping, she asked in a hushed tone, “Do you think they, you know,  _like_ each other?” She put one hand over her mouth and let out a small giggle. All four of them looked towards where you and David were sitting and chatting. He had said something that made you snicker, his smile widening as you laughed.

“It would appear that they do, but we can’t be certain until we run some tests.” Neil placed his fist into his open palm for emphasis.

“Tests?” Nikki asked

“Yes! Tests so that they can prove their true love to each other! It’s the perfect plan.” Preston looked excited.

“Welp, while you morons waste your time on that, I’m gonna get breakfast.” Max began to walk ahead when Nikki grabbed him by the hood of his jacket.

“Aww come on Max, you’re our greatest schemer! We need your help!”

Look back towards you, Max watched as you and David excitedly chatted away about the day’s plans. Even he had to admit, there seemed to be something between you two. He sighed out of frustration. “Fine, but only to get you idiots off my back. Here’s what we’ll do.”

As Max explained his plan, word of it quickly spread to the other campers. By the time everyone had gotten their food, the conversation died to hushed whispers about you and David, who were both completely oblivious to the world around you. Putting phase one into action, Max, Nikki, and Neil walked over to you and David. The rest of the camp tried their best to hide their excitement, though they weren’t doing a very good job. Each of them were going to have a chance throughout the day to get the two of you together. But first, it was up to these three to set everything into motion.

“Hey David?” Nikki asked sweetly. “Can we sit here with you guys?”

“I don’t see why not! Please join us!”

You and David made room at the table as Nikki sat beside him and Neil and Max took their places beside you.

“Morning guys," you say, "how are you feeling? You seem...ok?”

“Yeah, we’re fine,” Neil said. “It’s a lot harder to traumatize kids these days. Last night was nothing compared to watching the world crumble to pieces in front of us,” he explained nonchalantly.

_I guess that’s a relief. I think?_

“So,” he continued, “You’re going to be in charge of science this summer? Tell me, how to you feel about chemistry?”

As you and he talked about science, Nikki started a conversation with David.

“So, how did you guys meet?”

“Actually, we met in a dance class! Which is kind of a funny story really. We have really similar studies, so I’m surprised our classes didn’t overlap earlier. But I’m so glad we met! He’s my best friend.”

“You guys have a lot in common then eh?”

“I guess you could say that. We seem to get along pretty well.”

She gasped, an idea popping into her head. “David! We should take him on a night hike to the Sleepy Peak Lookout! I’ll bet he’d love it up there!”

“Well that’s a great idea Nikki! I’ll make the arrangements later. But spread the word during the day! The night hike is on!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song you and David danced to is Put on a Happy Face by Dick Van Dyke. Check it out here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmvFK739E_w


	9. Do Ya Thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title was inspired by Do Ya Thing by Gorillaz. Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nOGy52xygY

You finished breakfast but continued conversing with David and the others about the day. You were really excited to go on a night hike- David had told you that the silhouette of Sleepy Peak was absolutely stunning at night.

As everyone left the mess hall and walked towards the activity field for their morning activities, Nikki spread the word about the night hike and gave the news she learned during breakfast about you and David. The fact that you were both single and had some history between you spread among the campers quickly. They were sly about it, telling each other in passing or quickly meeting in secret at each of the booths. It was Neil’s turn first in the unofficially titled “plan to get our counselors to date” plan. You sat and watched as he worked on making something he said was a surprise.

“Oh come on Neil, I’m dying to know what you’re doing over there!”

“It’s almost done I promise! Just a few...more..” He added the finishing touches before turning and presenting you with what looked like homemade chocolate? “Synthetic chocolate,” he said proudly. “The world’s answer to the shrinking coco problem.” He handed you a piece, “Try it!”

You took a bite and immediately the chocolate flooded your sense. It was a perfect mix of sweet and tart, melting in your mouth. “Neil, this is amazing! How did you make it?”

“A great magician never reveals his secrets. Good thing I’m a scientist!” He pulled up the chalkboard and showed you the equation he had come up with on his own, explaining when gaps in you knowledge popped up. You were thoroughly impressed.

“Here,” he said handing you a bit of what was left over, “I’ll bet David would want some too.”

You thanked him before walking off towards Nerris’s cardboard castle. As soon as you were out of sight, Neil pulled out a walkie-talkie and paged Nerris,“Target inbound Lady Nerris, prepare your forces.”

“Noted.” She said, placing her walkie-talkie behind her DM screen.

“Lady Nerris!” you called to her, “May I join your court for the morning?”

“You have been granted access, please enter the drawbridge.” She popped her head over the side of the castle and whisper shouted, “I just drew it today.” Chuckling, you ascended the stairs to the top. It was surprisingly sturdy for cardboard. You bowed deeply as you made your way into the center of the “hall.”

“Welcome to my kingdom, weary traveler. Do you want to play Dungeons and Dragons?” She dropped the formality as her eyes lit up, producing a bag full of different kinds of dice.

“I’d love to, but I’ll need to create a new character.”

As you and Nerris worked out the details of your character, David was in the middle of a guitar lesson with Max near the amphitheater.

“Alright Max,” he strummed a chord. “Now this one is a C chord and is the base of a lot of songs. See where my fingers lie? You can easily switch between C and G by-”

“Yeah yeah yeah, whatever,” Max said impatiently, “I wanna know about you and our new counselor.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“Uh, I have no idea what you’re talking about Max.” His words were quick and tight while he avoided eye contact. “Let’s get back to the guitar.”

“You two dating or something? Come on David, spill.”

“Max, I really think we should get back to the less-”

“Do you like him?”

“Max that’s-”

“Have you kissed?”

“What! No! We-”

“Oh, so is it like a friends with benefits kinda thing?”

“MAX! That’s enough. How do you even know what that is?”

“I’m a preteen with unrestricted access to the internet. How do you think?”

David stood up, flustered. “I think that’s enough for today’s lesson. Just practice what I showed you today so that we can move onto the next chords sooner than later.” Heading towards the activity field, he looked over his shoulder, “I don’t know what you’re up to, but I would have hoped you would have learned after last year not to mess with people’s relationships.”

As he was walking away, Max called out, “Yeah but that relationship was over! You still have a chance with this one!”

David pretended not to hear him.

Back at the castle, you had completed your character sheet. You were now Darius, the dragonborn sorcerer. You had asked Nerris for advice on flaws to try and flesh him out a bit and she suggested one that wasn’t on the list of possible choices: Boy crazy.  You thought it was unique, so you ran with it.

“Alright. I’ll ask you some questions to get an idea of what you- HE’S into for guys. First question: Ideal body type?”

As the questions went on, you started to mix your feelings in with that of your character’s. You didn’t want him to be a completely separate entity from you, as you wanted to make a character that was roughly halfway between your reality and your fantasy. Glancing down at your watch, you realized you were going to be late to help Preston.

“Nerris, I hate to cut it short, but I have to get to the stage. Preston needs me!”

“Wait!” She cried as you left, “We still need to go over a backstory!”

As you rushed towards the stage, you saw David walking towards Dolph and Nurf. You gave him a quick wave before continuing onwards towards Preston.

“Hello art camp!” David cheered excitedly.

“Please David, not so loud. Artvurk takes patience and a quiet vurkspace.” Dolph scolded.

“Yeah,” Nurf continued, “I need a place where I can really let my mind take over for me.” He turned toward his canvas before screaming and slashing at it with his knife. “That’s for never being at my birthdays!” He bellowed.

“Uh, Nurf,” David began hesitantly, “While I’m all for freedom of expression and creation, maybe use a paintbrush instead of a knife?”

“Oh what, are you trying to stifle my creativity David? Because I don’t appreciate it.” He pointed his knife towards David. David put his hands up by his head.

“Of course not Nurf, I’m just saying that-”

“So now you’re trying to tell me how to make my art? Well how about I make an art piece out of you!” He came at David, who screamed and began to run away. He wasn’t quite fast enough, though, as Nurf caught him and tied his arms and legs together with rope. “Hope you can swim,” he said as he took David to the edge of the docks and tossed him in.

Hearing David scream and then a large splash, you look over to the dock were Nurf was standing alone. Putting two and two together, you dropped the set piece you were making with Preston and hauled ass over to the docks. Seeing bubbles still coming up, you dove in and made you way to the bottom, where you found David struggling to try and get back to the surface. You grabbed him under his arm before kicking off the bottom, giving yourself extra momentum. Breaking the surface, you looked at David: his eyes were almost closed and his tongue was hanging out of his mouth slightly. You dragged him over to the shore and undid the ropes. After he was freed, he rolled onto his hands and knees, coughing up water. You placed your hand on his back to help steady him and he let out a shuddering breath before rolling onto his back, breathing in deeply.

“David, are you ok?”

“I am thanks to you.” He coughed again, spitting out what was hopefully the last of the water from his system. You grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet and noticed all the kids had gathered around you from the commotion. David checked his watch. “Oh man! It’s lunch time! I’m sure you kids are hungry!” He spoke with the confidence of a man who didn’t just have a near death experience. He looked toward you, “Do you mind rounding up the campers and getting them to lunch? I have a few things I think I need to talk about with Nurf here.”

Trying to keep your emotions level, you spoke cooly, “Actually David, I would like to speak with Nurf first, if it’s all the same.”

“Uh, sure. Come on kids, let’s get to the mess hall.”

As they made their way inside the building, they grabbed their food and began to congregate.

“So,” Max began, “what have we learned today.”

“Well, we saw that he was willing to save his life. I’d say that’s pretty telling.” Nikki said.

“I don’t know about that,” contested Neil. “It was kinda just the right thing to do?”

“Oh please, we all saw how they looked at each other on the beach,” she replied.

“Like people who just went through something horrible?”

“Jesus, ok, anyone else?” Max asked.

“I got the kind of guy he’s into!” Nerris piped up.

“Excellent. Spill.”

“Ok, but it’s more towards what his character likes so I don’t know how much of it is super accurate.”

“Nerris!”

“Hey, I don’t see any of you coming up with anything great, either!”

As they spoke, you and Nurf walked in. He looked a bit shaken up as he came to sit with the others.

“Gentlemen, and ladies,” Nurf spoke, “let's try not to piss him off again.”

They just stared at him.

“O-kay then. Did anyone else find anything useful?” Max probed. The kids all shook their heads.

“What about you, Max? Did you get any info out of David?” Nikki questioned.

“Not any solid confessions, but I think he likes him. He got real closed off when I asked him about him.”

It was the best lead they had so far. No one else had solid proof of anything, just hints and gossip.

You had taken your seat with David in the mess hall. He looked a little bit worse for wear but was still smiling.

“How did it go?”

“Well, I think Nurf now understands why pushing people into a lake is a bad idea.” You say, rubbing your temples. “Also, he’s agreed to switch to wood carving rather than painting. It’s a better alternative for him I think. But, are you ok? I mean you almost just drowned!”

“I’m fine, honest! Last year they tried to roast me alive, this year they tried to drown me. Who knows, maybe in a few years, I’ll be the avatar of near-death experiences!” His positive attitude really could not be beat. You didn’t know anyone else who could walk off something like that but, you suppose that’s David- never one to stop moving forward. It didn’t stop you from being concerned about him, though.

“Just...promise me to be careful? I don’t know what I’d do if you got seriously hurt.”

“I’ll be careful,” he said as he leaned forward to grab your shoulder. “I promise.”

Suddenly remembering you had chocolate in your pocket, you pulled it out and offered it to David. “Here. Neil wanted me to give you this. He made it himself! It’s completely synthetic.” Taking the chocolate, David snapped it in half and offered you some. You tried to deny it, but your protests were cut short as he put the end of it in your mouth, forcing you to begrudgingly accept.

“Bingo,” Neil said, rubbing his hands together.

“What has you so worked up all of a sudden?” Max asked.

“My chocolate. They ate it.”

“Congratulations, you’re going to give them a cavity?”

“No! Chocolate is a natural aphrodisiac. And since this is of my own creation, I was able to tweak the recipe just a bit to make it more potent.”

“English please.”

Neil sighed. “The same part of the brain that’s triggered by romantic feelings is also triggered by chocolate. My chocolate doubles that feeling from normal chocolate.”

Nikki gasped, “Neil, you made a love potion!”

“I mean, I guess you could say that. But keep it down, we don’t need them finding out about it.”

“Nice going Neil,” Max said as he gave Neil a pat on the back.

“I guess we’ll just have to see how this all plays out.”


	10. Hooked On A Feeling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title was inspired by Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede. Check it out here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q0UTFq-o-o

Lunch finished and everyone was headed back out towards the amphitheater for dance camp. You and David walked together at the front of the pack, oblivious to the eyes glued to your every interaction. You felt closer to him, though you assumed it was because you had just saved his life. You wanted to try and ignore it, but you couldn’t help but notice that he seemed to be sneaking glances at you, causing you to blush. You prayed that he thought you were just sunburned.

Upon reaching the amphitheater, you and David helped pair kids up with each other. Some were less enthusiastic about who they were with than others, but everyone eventually sucked it up. As you and David began to teach the class, you suddenly became very aware of how close you were to him. You could feel your heart rate pick up as you continued and were certain that you were blushing like crazy, but when you were able to look up, you noticed his cheeks were tinged a bit pink as well. This did not help.

Near the end of the session, you gave up on trying to hide anything and let him take control. You placed your head on his chest and felt him put his chin on top of it. In that moment, nothing else was around you. You would have been perfectly content to have stayed in that moment for the rest of time. Moving to a melody only the two of you could hear, David lifted his head, prompting you to do the same. Gazing into each other’s eyes, you continued to sway across the stage. You could barely meet his gaze, though gentle it may be, as it gave way to thoughts that my have been similar to your own. Slowly, you stopped dancing and just held each other at arm's length. You wrapped your arms around his neck and he around your waist as you steadily got closer and closer to each other.

David suddenly stopped, eyes wide. Coming back to your senses, you looked out over the sea of faces anxiously anticipating what would have come next. You and David jumped back from each other, suddenly  _very_ aware of your proximity.

A groan came from the campers as you parted. David pulled on his shirt, red in the face. “I th-think that’s enough for today. Great job everyone!” Disappointed in the result of their efforts, the campers grumbled as they walked away, leaving you and David alone on stage. “S-sorry about all of that,” he apologized, “I guess I got kind of carried away there near the end.”

“Heh, I guess I did too. Sorry.” You both stood there awkwardly for a moment, trying your best to avoid the others eyes. “W-well, what happened today? Like, what was so different about this time? We’ve danced hundreds of times before but it’s never gotten so...intense?” You wracked your minds for a solution, going back through the day and what each of you did.

“...and then right before this, we ate lunch,” David finished. Still confused as to what it could have been, you tried to recall what you ate. It was just a normal lunch except for-

“The chocolate,” you said as the realization struck you.

“Yes the chocolate was delicious, but what does it have to do with anything?”

“David, chocolate is a natural aphrodisiac.”

“Oh. OH.” He turned red again, causing you to do so as well. Thinking back on the day, some things started falling into place. The talk at breakfast about relationships, Nerris asking you about your tastes, the chocolate.

“David I think the kids were trying to set us up.”

He  _really_ turned red at that revelation. “W-well, that would explain some of what Max asked me today,” he admitted as he rubbed the back of his head nervously, unable to look you in the eyes.

“Like what?”  _If Max told him he is fucking dead._

“Just incredibly personal questions about myself I’d really rather not repeat.” The awkward silence returned before you broke out into laughter. David began to laugh along with you, though he wasn’t sure what he was laughing at.

“Man,” you say wiping a tear from your eye, “I’ll give it to them. They’re slick.”

“I guess I should be grateful they’re looking out for us? I mean, I suppose all they wanted was to make us happy in the end.”

“Either that or blackmail,” you chortled.

Now David really laughed aloud. You thought it was the most beautiful sound in the world, and wished it would last forever. At this point you weren’t sure if your infatuation was from the chocolate or from your own head. You didn’t really care either.

David composed himself and hopped off the stage, offering a hand to help you down. You took it and stepped next to him. “So,” he asks, “what now?”

You thought for a moment. “Let’s get them back.”

And so, you and David put a plan into motion. Tonight on the hike, he would walk you over to a ledge where you would ‘fall off’ when in reality you would land on the shelf below and hide. Then, you would throw on some white powder and pretend to be a ghost hopefully freaking the kids out. He took you out to where the hike ended and you rehearsed, minus putting on the makeup.

You didn’t notice the eyes that were watching you two disappear into the woods. Nikki had laid in wait hoping she would catch a glimpse of you guys holding hands, a peck on the cheek if she was really lucky. She was disappointed to not have seen either, but as soon as you two disappeared, she raced down the trunk and reported back to the others. She reached the camp, panting and out of breath both from the exercise and from hyperventilating over what she had seen. Harrison noticed her first.

“Nikki? Is everything alri-”

“IJUSTSAWTHEMGOINGINTOTHEWOODSBYTHEMSELVES,” she released all at once as she grabbed his shoulders and shook him violently.

“Woah, calm down. Try again, slower.” By now the others had gathered around her, eager to hear the news. She recounted how she had chased a squirrel up a tree and decided to keep a lookout for the two of you while there. She claimed to have seen you and David walking deeper into the woods.

“So David is making his move huh? Didn’t think he had it in him.” Max said.

“And it’s all thanks to my chocolate.” Neil proclaimed.

“As if,” Max countered. “It was thanks to me that David was able to admit to himself he liked him.”

“Umm, I think the fact that Serpia was able to get his feelings down on paper is what really helped unlock their true potential.” Nerris said.

“Who the fuck is Serpia?”

“_____’s DnD character! God!”

“You’re all wrong,” Nurf said. “It was obviously the fact that he had to rescue him that brought them closer together.”   
  
“Yeah sure,” Max said. “Because they would have a great relationship if David was dead.”   
  
“I would have gone in after him if I needed to!”

The campers all began to argue among themselves about whose contribution was the most effective and why. They were so enthralled with their discussion that they didn’t notice you and David approaching.

“So, what are we arguing about?” You ask. The campers freeze and turn towards the pair of you standing there, arms crossed, knowing smiles on your faces. “No, please continue, I’m curious to hear what’s got everyone so heated.” They awkwardly stand around looking to each other for an answer, but too much time had already passed.

“Well, if you’re all finished working out your differences,” David said, “head to the mess hall for dinner and then get ready for a night hike! We’re heading to the Sleepy Peak Lookout!”

Dinner came and went and soon enough it was dark outside. With the campers all geared up with flashlights, the lot of you headed out into the woods. You and David had spread out with him leading the pack and you bringing up the rear. Max had hung around with you.

“So how was it?” He questioned.

“How was what?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. Nikki told us all about how you and David snuck off into the woods today. Alone. Just the two of you.”

“If you’re insinuating what I think you are, we didn’t sleep together.”

“Alright then, makeout sesh. Did he cop a feel?”

“No, Max. We didn’t make out with each other, either.”

“Not even a-”

“Dude, why are you so invested in this? You know how I feel. What’s your end-game?”

“I don’t have one, I just like screwin’ with people.” He dropped his voice. “Though I’m sure there’s someone you wouldn’t mind screwing with.”

“Aaaaaand this conversation is over.”

He shrugged and walked a bit ahead, leaving you a flustered mess. You were suddenly very grateful to be at the end of the line.

“Come on campers! We’re almost there!” David’s voice broke through the sound of leaves crunching underfoot as your group traversed through the trees. The moon was but a sliver in the inky blackness of the sky, giving up its pearly spotlight to the stars behind it. You reached the lookout in seemingly no time at all, lining yourselves up to look at the silhouette of Sleepy Peak outlined by the white dots in the sky behind it. You had to admit, it was stunning. You never imagined a mountain could be so beautiful at night. You began to sit and admire the sky- the milky way living up to its name as it spilled across the heavens above you. Planets twinkled how a glockenspiel sounded, and you could almost hear their delicate melody. David came and sat beside you, looking up at the infinite abyss of light and darkness that would never be fully explored by man. You rested your head onto his shoulder and sighed contentedly, allowing yourself to lean into him a bit. You stayed like that for some time, enjoying the stars, silence, and company.

“So,” David began, breaking the silence, “who here knows their constellations?”

Space Kid’s hand shot up. “I do! I do!”

“Then maybe you can help me with this song?” David pulled out his guitar and began to strum a familiar melody. It was the same one from your first night here.

“  _When you look up at night and see the stars shining bright_

_Do you know that they tell stories?_

_Their luminescent beams move around the world it seems_

_To tell people of their glories._

_Oh, they know that they shine down._

_And oh, they know when to make their rounds._

_Ursa Major and Ursa Minor the big and little bears._

_There’s Leo and Taurus whom at you can’t help but stare_

_Orion and his famous belt shines down for all to see_

_Cassiopeia sits on her chair stuck by the nymphs of sea_

_The starlight stories told through time help remind us of_

_Those who have come before us and to look up above_

_So next time you are outside on a cloudless night_

_Look up to the heavens above and bask in their light.”_

He ended his song and the kids clapped politely. “It’s getting late,” he said when they finished, “we should head back to camp.” As the kids began standing up, he took you by the hand and lead you to the spot where you would ‘fall’ to your death. The makeup was stashed below and you should have just enough time to apply it and run around the edge. Taking a deep breath, you let go of his hand, fell, and screamed bloody murder.

The kids flipped. Some screamed and tried to rush over the the edge, but you were far enough underneath to where they wouldn’t be able to see you. Finding a large rock, you shoved it over the side, making it sound like you landed with a thud in the foliage below.

“Holy fucking shit!” Neil screamed, “He’s dead!”

“David what the fuck!” Max exclaimed.

“I don’t know! I was helping him stand up and he fell off the ledge!”

You listened as you patted yourself down with the white powder, trying your hardest not to sneeze. Slowly, you crept your way back up the side of the cliff waiting for the perfect moment to pop out.

“We have to do something!” Max cried. “He’s probably already dead but we can’t just leave him out here!”

Putting on your best creepy voice, you made your move. “It is too late for me now.” You say as you step out from behind David. He jumps back in fear, screaming before giving you a wink. You begin to slowly walk forward towards the campers. They scream and back up closer to the edge. Continuing your slow crawl towards the terrified group, you asked David, ”Why did you push me? I thought we were a team.”

Horrified, the kids looked to David. “W-what are you talking about. It was an accident! I swear.”

Stopping in front of him, the little moonlight there was gave you an ethereal glow. As the wind blew your hair back slightly, you couldn’t believe how perfect everything was going. “Well I hope you know that now we’ll just have to be counselors forever.” You gave him a wink before gently pushing him off the edge. He gave a very theatrical fall before he disappeared from the campers view. They screamed again.

All except for Max who walked over to you and began punching you in the leg. Repeatedly.

“I. Thought. You. Were. Dead.” He accentuated each word with another punch. Stopping his attacks, you bend down and flick his nose.

“Gotcha.” You say before you laugh. David walks up from the ledge and gives you a high-five, both of you cheering at the successful prank. Slowly, the campers realize they’d been had.

“What the hell you guys! Not cool!” Ered says as she crosses her arms.

“What the fuck was that all about?” Neil asked, furious.

“We figured out your little plan for us,” you say, “so we figured we would hatch one ourselves.”

David was still laughing, “Oh man, we got you guys good. That’s classic.”

The kids were a mixture of ashamed and aggravated. They knew they had been found out, but that didn’t stop them from being upset about the situation. David eventually calmed down.

“But on a more serious note, you guys really shouldn’t be messing with people’s relationships. I thought we would have been over this after last summer, but apparently not. You can’t force something to happen, no matter how much you want it to blossom into something more. It just will end terribly for both people and in the end, no one wants that. If it isn’t meant to be, you have to just live and let live and be grateful for what you do have.“

The kids were silent for a moment before Max spoke up. “Fuck you guys, I’m going back to camp.”

The others followed so you and David shrugged, bringing up the rear.

**Author's Note:**

> Here we are folks! The promised Male Reader version of SOWK! Non-binary to soon follow!


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